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What’s the role of faith ­based NGOs in the Middle East?

The World Economic Forum

For humanitarian workers in the non ­profit world, the Middle East is as complicated as it gets. A poignant example is the delivery of aid in war ­torn Syria – a country where, the United Nations estimates, 7.6 million are displaced and 4.6 million are in need of assistance in besieged neighbourhoods and hard ­to­ reach areas. Humanitarian actors navigate political complexities on a daily basis, passing through checkpoints and territories of competing and combating factions, as they seek to provide a lifeline to the vulnerable. Our agency, Islamic Relief, works in partnership with governments and multilateral agencies, and has been operating in challenging environments for more than 30 years. We are also acutely aware that as a faith ­based agency, our “spiritual capital” builds trust and often pushes us deeper into conflict zones than other agencies. It has allowed us to forge growth and spread insight in the Middle East, particularly in conflict zones.